Pirates of the Caribbean: Icy Waters
by Jigsaw13327
Summary: Set between the events of At World's End and On Stranger Tides, Jack Sparrow temporarily places his search for the Fountain of Youth on hold to pursue a legend regarding a legendary ship of ice and the emotionally scarred pirate queen who captains it.
1. Routine

Pirates of the Caribbean: Icy Waters

By Vinny Giannuzzi

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

_This is entirely a work of fiction based off of two already existing works of fiction. This author does not own the two franchises represented in this piece. All rights, copyrights, and trademarks reserved. This author also apologizes for any inconsistences with the storylines of the two franchises. _

_Special thanks to Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures for not suing this author._

_I_

Routine

The moon shone down on the salty waters of the Caribbean, casting an unsettling silver glow on everything in sight. In this silver darkness, the British ship HMS Victoria sliced through the calm waters. She had been sent to investigate the disappearance of three ships off the coast of Port Royal. Although Lieutenant Atkins could not be sure, he guessed that the vanishing of the ships was most likely the work of the weather. In the past week storms had toppled ships in the harbor, still attached to their mooring lines. Tonight the weather had only begun to clear up, and that same weather could've been an explanation for such an eerie moon.

As Atkins strolled the length of the ship's deck, he turned and saw the torches lighting up the city of Port Royal. It was the English's only major foothold in a Caribbean dominated by the Spanish, and a port of most importance in the New World. It was also extremely vulnerable during times of attack. The new governor of the city had repeatedly written to the King, asking for extra weaponry and men to guard this exposed focal point of colonization, but he had received no reply to his pleas. Atkins shuddered at the thought of the destruction of Port Royal.

Atkins was roused out of his musing by the cry of "Ship! Off the port bow!" A soldier ran up to Atkins, promptly turned him around so that he was facing the mouth of the harbor, and handed Atkins a spyglass. Atkins placed the device against his eye, and caught the faintest glimpse of a blue… mass streaking farther away in the darkness. Suddenly, the blue mass began to turn around. Atkins realized what the ship was doing at the last moment.

"She's coming 'round!" was all Atkins could say when the ship-thing unleashed a massive broadside that ripped apart the Victoria. But the Royal Navy's ship was not totally out of commission. The Victoria fired off a few shots of her own, but they fell short of the rogue attacker. If they could just turn back for Port Royal and signal help…

But that fate was not to be. The mystery ship fired another broadside, and the next thing Lieutenant Atkins felt was the water. Then darkness…

Muffled voices. Then, a stinging sensation. A voice colder than ice: "Wake up, Lieutenant." Atkins awoke to stare into the face of the palest, most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her iron-colored hair was tired back into a ponytail, and the most discerning feature on her face was a black eyepatch that hid her right eye. She slapped him across the face.

"What… what do you want from me?" he asked the woman. She immediately replied: "Look behind you." Atkins turned around from his sitting position and grasped the railing of the ship as he looked out on the flaming wreck of the Victoria sinking deeper and deeper into the sea. He recoiled, not from the sight of his ship sinking, but from the freezing touch of the rail. He realized that he was standing on a ship made entirely of ice.

The woman continued her speech. "That is what I want. Blood repayment for what I have lost." Atkins turned around to face the woman, to ask her what she had lost, but then he felt a warm feeling in his stomach. Looking down, he saw an ice sword protruding from his stomach. Blood began to drip onto the deck, turning the floor a greenish hue. The woman pulled out the ice sword and delivered a swift kick that sent Lieutenant Atkins flying off the ship and into oblivion.

Without speaking to an actual audience, she turned around and said out loud: "I will not stop until every last British man is as red as the coats they wear." The ice ship sailed farther and farther away, until Port Royal was nothing but a glowing speck on the horizon.


	2. Tortuga

_II_

Tortuga

My cup is empty. Again. I raise my right hand and signal the lovely young serving girl to fill it up once again. She struts over, shrugging off groping hands from the other men in the bar. Bending over, she pours more grog into the mug. She has bright green eyes, but the feature that strikes me most is her fiery red hair. Not many people in the Caribbean has that kind of hair.I toss her a few pieces of silver for her troubles, and she smiles slightly before heading off to another table. I resume my favorite pastime: drinking heavily.

After passing more of the fire between my lips, I look up to see an old, scraggy-looking pirate throw a younger pirate off of a staircase. He falls flailing around like he'd been struck with a hot poker. The young pirate hits the floor with a sickening CRUNCH. Almost instantly, all conversation dies away as everyone turns and looks at the corpse. A few seconds later, everyone turns around and picks up their conversation. I raise the mug to my lips again and breathe in even more fire. The grog feels stronger tonight, but it could just be my worries. The great Captain Jack Sparrow, without a ship to captain? Unthinkable. How was I supposed to search for the Fountain of Youth without a ship and a crew?

And yet here I am, sitting in Tortuga's filthiest, nastiest bar (but then again, all of Tortuga is pretty much filth) when I suddenly turn into the conversation at the table behind me. From their clipped tones, it's two Englishmen, but their accents are not the reason I begin to listen. No, it's the mention of my old stomping grounds: Port Royal.

"So didja hear about Port Royal?" one says to the other

"No. Whadda about it?" Number Two asks

"I hear from a couple fellows up that way that it's been cursed by a ghost ship" Number One says.

I inwardly sigh. Old news does not die hard.

"You mean the same one that shot it up a couple years back?" Number Two questions

"No, I'm talk'n about the one that suppose'to'd sunk five British frigates. All within the boundaries of the city" Number One tells him. This piques my attention. _A ghost ship plundering Port Royal. Could it be Barbarossa again?_

Number One is still speaking: "According to these fellows, the ship's made of ice. And it's run by a crazy pirate queen."

With severe disregard to my eavesdropping, I throw my head back and laugh. The two pirates behind me turn around and Number Two speaks first. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just that you would listen to the kind of fairy-tales that come out of that place. Port Royal is a breeding ground for such stories."

Number One confronts me on that point: "Well, then how 'bout this? I been trying to get a ship and a crew together to hunt down this "ice-ship" myth, maybe prove it, maybe disprove it. Only one problem so far: I got me a ship, but nobody wants to find this darn thing.

I snicker. Number One continues. "You, sir, look like a hardy enough fallow for such a terrifying journey. What do you say?" Gears turn in my head as I calculate odds, risks, and possibilities. After a few seconds of silence, I shake hands with Number One. "Yes, I will do this. But one thing: I didn't catch your names."

Number One looks at me and says: "Bloody Bones Baz, that's my name. But you can just call me Bloody." He cocks a thumb towards Number Two. "And that's Johnny No-Brain."

"I always hated that name" Johnny remarks as he slides his elbow backwards, causing his mug to fall off and spill on the floor. The serving girl comes over with a rag and begins to mop it up as Johnny sputters out several apologies.

"And yah see why he's got the name" Bloody tells me. "Glad to have you aboard..."

"Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Well, we best round up a crew" Bloody says. The three of us stand up from our tables and depart the bar.


End file.
